Red Sea Revelation

On the second evening of my dive holiday on the main Farasan Island off the coast of Jizan, Saudi Arabia, my roommate Maggi and I prepared for bed.

“Please don’t forget to wake me up tomorrow morning.” Maggi pleaded.

“Of course,” I assured her, “Don’t worry.”

After another three daytime dives and an additional sunset dive, Maggi and I soon fell into a deep sleep.

Hours later, I awoke in a sweaty panic. In my dreams, the image of a large shark had ominously crystallized in my mind’s eye. I’m going to encounter a shark.

Hmm… Should I abort the next few days of diving based on a silly premonition? I’m a mother. Silly me. I’m overtired; bad things can happen anywhere. Let me pray.

Dear God, if this is how I am meant to go, so be it. I’m not afraid. I leave my life in Your hands for Your glory, Amen.”

After praying, I slept peacefully until morning.

At 8:00 a.m., the fishing boat, with all seven members of our dive team of international school teachers, motored toward our next dive adventure.

This would be a shallow dive - about thirty feet down. I took the lead position as our group skirted the banks of a small coral reef that was teaming with marine life. Swift moving shoals of multicolored fish danced before our eyes in the subdued water-filtered morning sunlight. The scenery lulled me into a state of euphoria.

Then suddenly, my legs jerked upwards in response to a jolting bump to my flippers from behind. Turning swiftly, I caught the flash of the tail end of a large fish racing toward the deep, dark depths of the sandy bottom shelf. Looking back toward my dive buddies, I noticed their wide-eyes and one hand over their heads indicating ‘shark’.

Recalling my premonition, adrenalin rushed through my body.

I looked back into the vast depths of the sea. Nothing. Turning back again to my buddies, I smiled, gave the ‘okay’ sign, and continued the dive while there was still air left in my tank.

Back on board, my dive mates ripped their snorkels from their mouths and cried out, “Shark. A huge oceanic white-tipped reef shark hit you. We didn’t think you would survive.”

“You’re kidding.” I replied.

“I have the pictures to prove it,” someone called out.